Overview
- William Smithers died on May 26 in Santa Barbara, California, and his death at age 98 was first reported publicly by the Santa Barbara Independent in mid-June.
- He built a long career on stage and screen, debuting on Broadway in 1951 and appearing in films such as Papillon and TV series across the 1950s through the 1990s.
- Smithers played oil baron Jeremy Wendell on Dallas in 50 episodes between 1981 and 1989 and later said he left the show over a pay dispute.
- In 1976 he sued MGM over a contract dispute, won at trial and on appeal, and the resulting Smithers v. MGM decision is now used as a teaching example in entertainment-law classes.
- No cause of death or detailed survivor information has been released and current coverage focuses on his roles, career span, and the legal precedent his case established.